Itinerary
Mon Oct 12 -13 Toronto - Paris - Vienna
Oct 13 - Vienna
Oct 14 - Vienna
Oct 15 - Vienna
Oct 16 - Vienna to Budapest by train
Oct 17 - Budapest
Oct 18 - Budapest to Zagreb Croatia
Oct 19 - Zagreb
Oct 20 - Zagreb - Belgrade Serbia
Oct 21 - Belgrade
Oct 22 - Belgrade
Oct 23 - Belgrade - Bucharest Romania
Oct 24 - Bucharest
Oct 25 - Bucharest
Oct 26 - Bucharest - Sinaia
Oct 27 - Bucharest
Oct 28 - Bucharest - Warsaw Poland
Thursday, October 29 Warsaw
We didn't rush this cloudy morning and took our time over breakfast before heading out. This is a Hampton Inn, initially chosen because we had thought we would be training and it is near the train station. They are not known for their breakfast "buffets" in the US or Canada, so this was a pleasant surprise.
It is like a cafeteria, an excellent way to cut costs while providing quality.
The buffet included everything we have had at other hotels, hot and cold foods including fruits, salads, breads, pastry, eggs (hot and cold) cold cuts, bacon sausages etc. AND the best coffee of the trip, HOT!
They had excellent allergens postings on items and gluten free bread available.
View out our window, that is a high school.
We figured out how to cross the intersection! The crisp Warsaw air hit us immediately as we made our way north toward Jerozolimskie Avenue.
To anyone who has never been here, you need to understand that crossing a major intersection in downtown Warsaw is not a matter of simply waiting for a little green man and stepping off a curb.
We approached the massive, multi-lane vortex of the Dmowskiego Circle (Rondo Dmowskiego), where the city’s arteries collide.
Instead of braving the surface traffic, we followed the locals toward what looked like an ordinary concrete staircase plunging down. There are street level elevators as well.
As we descended, the roar of the city traffic suddenly muffled, replaced by a strange, cavernous hum. We had entered Warsaw's legendary underground pedestrian network.
For a first-timer, it is hard to conceptualize. It is not a dark, gritty subway tunnel; it is a subterranean village. The moment our boots hit the tiled floor, we were greeted by lit corridors fanning out in every direction like a sprawling, subterranean spiderweb, much like leaving the subway in Vienna.
The sheer scale was mesmerizing. Hundreds of commuters brushed past us, moving between the nearby Warsaw Central Railway Station, the tram platforms, and the metro line.
We knew what exit we were supposed to exit, Złote Tarasy, but couldn't find it so followed the Warszawa Centralna sign to street level.
We spotted the architectural antidote to the Palace of Culture's rigid, heavy concrete: the breathtaking "bubble roof" of the Złote Tarasy (Golden Terraces) commercial complex.
We spent some time around the monumental perimeter of the Soviet-style Palace of Culture and Science.
The Palace of Culture and Science is Warsaw’s most iconic, polarizing, and unmissable landmark. Rising 237 metres into the sky, this colossal socialist-realist skyscraper was gifted to Poland by Joseph Stalin in 1955.
To someone who has never seen it, it looks like a staggering hybrid of an American Art Deco skyscraper (reminiscent of the Empire State Building) and a gothic Soviet fortress, complete with intricate stonework, columns, and a massive, four-faced clock tower added for the millennium.
Though originally viewed by locals as a dark symbol of Soviet domination, it has evolved into the vibrant, cultural heartbeat of modern Warsaw.
This oversized ship's propeller stands as part of the outdoor exhibits managed by the National Museum of Technology (Narodowe Muzeum Techniki), which is housed inside the Palace building complex.
SZCZURestauracja, an art installation and social campaign created by the Fundacja Mushika, created as part of the foundation's "Jestem" campaign, the project highlights how everyday human habits—such as littering and improper waste disposal—provide rodents with easy access to food and fuel urban pest issues.
Around the front.
Tindaro, a monumental bronze work created in 1997 by the renowned Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj, set against the backdrop of the Palace of Culture and Science on Central Square (Plac Defilad).
Today is a damp, cold day!
Artist: VALIE EXPORT Title: Die Doppelgängerin (2010) Installed on Plac Centralny outside the Museum of Modern Art.
The giant interlocking golden-bronze scissors form an abstracted female figure (adding the feminine suffix -in to the German Doppelgänger). The scissors reference traditional "feminine" spheres like tailoring and housework, as well as tools of cut, montage, and film editing.
Finally we are in the Old Town. Warsaw City Walls and colorful tenement houses with the green spire of St. Martin’s Church visible in the background.
Roesler and Hurtig Tenement House (Kamienica Roeslera i Hurtiga), located at Krakowskie Przedmieście 79.
We're going to walk to Old Town, about a 40 minute walk. John used Google to get us there, we swear it never takes the most direct path!
Since we are heading to Old Town Warsaw—where we'll see many monuments and references to the Warsaw Uprising—here is a quick overview to give you some context.
By August 1944, Warsaw had endured five brutal years of German occupation. With the Soviet Red Army fast approaching from the east, the Polish underground resistance—known as the Home Army—saw a critical window. They launched a massive, coordinated uprising to drive out the retreating German forces and reclaim their own capital, aiming to establish a free, sovereign Polish government before the Soviets could take over.
What followed was 63 days of fierce, block-by-block urban warfare. Despite being severely outgunned and running dangerously low on food and ammunition, the Polish fighters held out with incredible bravery.
Tragically, help never came. The advancing Soviet army abruptly halted its march just across the Vistula River, completely stopping on the eastern bank. They waited out the battle, effectively letting the German military crush the Polish resistance. Cut off from external supplies and completely exhausted, the Polish forces were finally forced to surrender on October 2.
The revenge exacted on Warsaw was catastrophic:
• The Human Cost: Between 15,000 and 18,000 resistance fighters lost their lives, alongside up to 200,000 innocent civilians.
• Mass Expulsion: Half a million surviving residents were driven from their homes and sent to concentration or forced labor camps.
• Systematic Destruction: Enraged by the defiance, Adolf Hitler ordered Warsaw to be wiped off the map. German forces went building by building with explosives and flamethrowers, systematically destroying over 85% of the city—including the historic palaces and marketplaces of the very Old Town we are walking through today.
A Tchorek plaque (a Place of National Memory memorial), created by Polish sculptor Karol Tchorek to commemorate WWII execution and battle sites across Warsaw.
Inscription Translation (Polish to English)Top section (standardized across plaques): "A place consecrated by the blood of Poles who fell for the freedom of their homeland" (MIEJSCE UŚWIĘCONE KRWIĄ POLAKÓW POLEGŁYCH ZA WOLNOŚĆ OJCZYZNY).
"Here on 11 December 1943, Nazi Germans executed 100 Poles" (TU 11 GRUDNIA 1943 HITLEROWCY ROZSTRZELALI 100 POLAKÓW).
This specific plaque is located at Wierzbowa 7 in Warsaw, marking a World War II execution site.
"Here on 11 December 1943, Nazi Germans executed 100 Poles" (TU 11 GRUDNIA 1943 HITLEROWCY ROZSTRZELALI 100 POLAKÓW).
This specific plaque is located at Wierzbowa 7 in Warsaw, marking a World War II execution site.
Jabłonowski Palace (Pałac Jabłonowskich) located on Theatre Square in the Śródmieście district.
Originally constructed between 1773 and 1785 for Antoni Barnaba Jabłonowski, it later served as the Warsaw city hall from 1817 until World War II.
Destroyed during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, the building was faithfully reconstructed in the 1990s based on its pre-1936 Neo-Renaissance architectural plans.
Monument of the European Geodesy (formerly and mistakenly known as the Warsaw Meridian) located on Theater Square (plac Teatralny).
The marble column and its stylized iron balustrade mark a geodetic and magnetic measurement point established in 1872 (not 1880, as mistakenly marked on a previous pavement plaque from 1965).
It marks part of the 52nd parallel north geodetic arc—a massive continent-spanning arc running roughly 6,000 km from Valentia Island (been there!) in Ireland to Orsk in Russia's Ural Mountains.
The historical measurements were led by Polish land surveyor, engineer, and traveler General Józef Żyliński.
In September 2022, during the Congress of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) in Warsaw, the restored column was officially designated the Monument of the European Geodesy.
Across the street, Grand Theatre (Teatr Wielki) and National Opera (Opera Narodowa), also located on Theatre Square.
Originally opened on February 24, 1833, designed by architect Antonio Corazzi. Destroyed during World War II and reopened in 1965 after a full reconstruction. It is one of the largest theatre and opera complexes in Europe, housing both the Polish National Opera and the Polish National Ballet, and shares the building complex with the National Theatre.
We are just finding our way on instinct at this point, enjoying ourselves, although it is chilly. We are definitely getting a history lesson.
This intersection is located at ulica Moliera (Moliera Street), specifically at the corner where it meets ulica Senatorska near Theater Square (Plac Teatralny).
The grey residential building featured on the right is Moliera 8, a well-known modernist residential block built between 1962 and 1965. It stands out for its distinct balconies and the large artwork painted on its side façade.
The classic, pale-yellow building on the left represents the historic architectural style characteristic of Warsaw's reconstructed Old Town and Downtown (Śródmieście) districts.
Primate's Palace (Pałac Prymasowski) on Senatorska Street in Warsaw, Poland, which currently houses the 5-star Hotel Bellotto.
The Primate's Palace was severely damaged and destroyed during World War II.
During the September 1939 German invasion of Poland, the building was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe and largely reduced to ruins.
Following the capitulation of the Warsaw Uprising in late 1944, German commandos systematically burned and demolished what remaining historical structures stood in the area as part of a deliberate scorched-earth policy.
After the war concluded, the palace was meticulously rebuilt and restored to its original grand Classicist appearance using old architectural plans, drawings, and paintings.
Finally we are in the Old Town. Warsaw City Walls and colorful tenement houses with the green spire of St. Martin’s Church visible in the background.
Virtually everything you see in our photo was completely destroyed during World War II.
Following the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, Nazi Germany systematically razed the city.
• The Tenement Houses: The colorful buildings pictured on the right were totally demolished by explosives and fires.
• St. Martin’s Church: The church in the background was bombed and heavily burned, leaving only fractured, skeletal walls standing. Workers later uncovered a half-destroyed, charred statue of Jesus from the rubble, which is still kept inside today.
• The Defensive Walls: Large portions of the red brick walls had actually been built over or integrated into residential buildings during the 18th and 19th centuries. When the Germans bombed the tenements, the modern structures collapsed, exposing the older medieval foundations underneath.
What you see today is one of the most ambitious historic reconstructions in human history. Between 1945 and the 1950s, the people of Warsaw meticulously rebuilt the entire Old Town brick by brick.
Because the original blueprints were lost, architects used 18th-century street landscape paintings by the Italian artist Bernardo Bellotto (Canaletto) to perfectly recreate the facades, windows, and paint colors. This massive effort is why the Historic Centre of Warsaw is now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, serving as a global symbol of cultural resilience.
Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy) in Warsaw, Poland, featuring the Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski) and Sigismund's Column (Kolumna Zygmunta).
• Royal Castle: The historic brick-red royal residence and former seat of Polish monarchs, which was completely rebuilt after being destroyed during World War II.
• Sigismund's Column: The monument erected in 1644 to honor King Sigismund III Vasa, who moved Poland's capital from Kraków to Warsaw in 1596.
This is the Katyń Monument, located right by the old city walls on Podwale Street. It is a powerful memorial dedicated to the Polish Army officers who were killed by the Soviet secret police during the Katyń massacre back in 1940.
The monument itself is basically a massive boulder fitted with a dark bronze plaque. If you look closely at the top, the letters spelling out KATYŃ are stylized to look like a row of crosses, alongside Poland's traditional eagle emblem. Sculptor Andrzej Renes designed the piece, and it was originally unveiled nearby in 1998 before being moved across the street to this current spot in 2012.
Overlooking the eastern facade of the Royal Castle and its geometric terraced gardens, with the Trasa W-Z roadway running alongside it below. Originally serving as the official residence of Polish monarchs, the castle was completely destroyed during World War II and meticulously rebuilt in the 1970s and 1980s.
PGE Narodowy (Warsaw National Stadium)
Designed in the late 18th century by architect Szymon Bogumił Zug, it is recognized as one of Warsaw's earliest precursors to a department store.
Like much of Warsaw's historic center, it was heavily damaged during World War II and later meticulously reconstructed, and was entered into the register of historical monuments in 1965.
Krakowskie Przedmieście Street (part of the historic Royal Route).
On the left side of the street is the classic colonnade of the Centralna Biblioteka Rolnicza (Central Agricultural Library), and the view looks northward toward the historic center near the Royal Castle and Castle Square.
Following the Warsaw Uprising, German commando forces systematically burned and dynamited the street house by house as a form of collective retaliation. By January 1945, Krakowskie Przedmieście was reduced to a vast sea of hollow shells and rubble.
Krakowskie Przedmieście street looking south from Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy) in Warsaw, Poland, featuring the distinctive bell tower of St. Anne's Church on the left.
St. Anne's Church (Kościół św. Anny)
Designed by architect Chrystian Piotr Aigner and completed in 1788, the prominent cream-colored façade features grand Corinthian columns, a triangular pediment, and statues of the Four Evangelists in the lower niches.
St. Anne's Church was bombed and damaged during World War II, though it miraculously escaped the total devastation that leveled 85% of Warsaw.
German bombs struck the church early in the war - 1939 air raids. The roof, turrets, and the Loreto Chapel were heavily damaged by fire.
The church was the site of intense fighting during the Uprising. While the German military used it as a defensive post, the building's roof was once again completely destroyed by fire and the stone elements of the façade were scarred by shellfire.
Because its main structural walls, grand Neoclassical façade, and bell tower managed to largely survive the German systematic destruction of the Old Town, it remains one of the few places in the area where you can still see authentic, original elements like its Baroque interior wall frescoes. The church was meticulously restored and repaired between the 1940s and 1960s.
Passauer Madonna Monument (Pomnik Matki Boskiej Passawskiej), a historic votive sculpture located on Krakowskie Przedmieście.
Created in 1683 by royal architect and sculptor Józef Bellotti as a votive offering of gratitude after his family survived a plague outbreak (1677–1679), and in commemoration of King John III Sobieski's victory at the Battle of Vienna.
It is recognized as Warsaw's second-oldest outdoor monument, standing second only to Zygmunt's Column.
Adam Mickiewicz Monument (sculpted by Cyprian Godebski) standing in front of the historic Carmelite Church (Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and of St. Joseph).
Dedicated to Adam Mickiewicz (1798–1855), one of Poland's greatest Romantic poets and national bards. The original monument was unveiled in 1898, destroyed during World War II, and a faithful copy by Jan Szczepkowski was re-erected in 1950.
Following the suppression of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, Nazi forces intentionally destroyed the original Adam Mickiewicz statue and stripped its parts. Its head and several fragments were later recovered from a scrapheap in Hamburg, which allowed artists to craft the precise replica seen today.
The Carmelite Church features a classic neoclassical facade and is famous for its rococo interior and its historical connection to Frédéric Chopin, who once played the organ there.
The Carmelite Church was exceptionally spared from deliberate destruction and was not bombed or demolished during World War II. Because it survived almost entirely intact while 85% of Warsaw was reduced to rubble, it even served as the city's temporary pro-cathedral after the war while the heavily damaged St. John's Cathedral was being rebuilt.
The Presidential Palace: The neoclassical building serves as the official residence and workplace of the President of the Republic of Poland. Originally built in 1643, it was redesigned in its current neoclassical style in 1818 by architect Chrystian Piotr Aigner.
The bronze statue in the courtyard depicts Polish general and national hero Prince Józef Poniatowski, sculpted by Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Classic stone lion figures guard the courtyard entrance area along the street boundary.
In the foreground are stone memorial and commemorative markers, including tributes related to the 2010 Smolensk air disaster.
The Smolensk air disaster occurred on April 10, 2010, when a Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M crashed near Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board.
The crash killed Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife Maria, top-ranking military commanders, central bank officials, and prominent government dignitaries.
The elite delegation was flying from Warsaw to attend a 70th-anniversary commemoration of the 1940 Katyn massacre, where Soviet forces executed over 22,000 Polish officers.
Official investigations by both Polish and Russian authorities concluded the primary cause was pilot error. The flight crew attempted to land in heavy, blinding fog at a poorly equipped military airfield, descending far below the safe altitude limits until the aircraft clipped trees, rolled upside down, and broke apart.
The tragedy deeply traumatized Poland and stands as one of the darkest events in the country's modern history.
At this point we crossed the street to return to Castle Square. The ornate entrance gate of the Potocki Palace (Pałac Potockich).
The Potocki Palace, originally a 17th-century manor destroyed during the Swedish Deluge, was transformed into a late-Baroque/Rococo masterpiece by the prominent Czartoryski and Potocki families in the 18th century. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, it served as a high-society cultural hub and briefly housed foreign embassies, including the United States Embassy. After being methodically blown up by retreating German forces following the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, the palace was meticulously rebuilt from historic plans between 1948 and 1950. Today, the resurrected landmark serves as the headquarters for Poland's Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
On a signpost we noticed it pointing to the changing of the guard, it was 11:54! We figured we could do it. Thanks, Google, once again you took the long way and we missed it by a minute.
It takes place every full hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The routine shift change is quick and straightforward.
However, the grounds where it takes place was of much interest to us!
The Saxon Palace was a prominent neoclassical architectural landmark located on Piłsudski Square.
Originally built as a manor house, it was transformed into a grand royal residence in the 18th century under Poland's Saxon kings. Frederic Chopin lived in one of its wings during his childhood, and after WWI, it became the headquarters for the General Staff of the Polish Army.In December 1944, following the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising, the palace was deliberately blown up and razed to the ground by retreating German forces.
The only part of the monumental structure that survived the blast was a small central section of the arcade, which houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
A major national project is underway by the architectural group WXCA to faithfully reconstruct the palace to its pre-war 1939 form. Groundwork started in 2022, and full restoration is projected for completion around 2030–2031.
Peeking through the fence at the rubble.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Grobowiec Nieznanego Żołnierza) is Poland's most sacred national monument. It serves as a symbolic grave honoring the millions of unnamed heroes who gave their lives for Polish independence.
Officially dedicated inside the Saxon Palace's central colonnade on November 2, 1925, to hold the remains of an unidentified volunteer from the battlefields of Lwów. It achieved its legendary status in December 1944 when, following the Warsaw Uprising, Nazi forces systematically blew up the entire palace, yet only the three arches sheltering the Tomb miraculously survived the blast. Preserved as a battle-scarred ruin after the war, the monument today features an eternal flame and a 24/7 military guard, standing as an enduring symbol of Polish resilience that will remain the centerpiece of the palace's upcoming 2030 reconstruction.
The three arches housing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier survived the 1944 demolition primarily due to battlefield honor and explicit defiance by German sappers.
While the Sprengkommando (German demolition squads) were given strict, systematic orders to lay dynamite and raze the entire Saxon Palace to the ground, the sappers tasked with the operation intentionally refused to plant explosives in the central section housing the tomb. As military men themselves, they chose to accord respect to the unidentified soldier, leaving that specific section unmined out of a sense of universal military honor.
When the surrounding wings of the massive palace detonated and collapsed, the blast wave caused the vault above the tomb to cave inward and damaged the monument, but the structural core of the three central arches remained standing.
You can see where it was attached.
Looking backwards towards the tomb you can see the immense size of the reconstruction.
Look, we can see The Palace of Culture.
The roof of the Zachęta National Gallery of Art doesn't actually have structural damage; its appearance is a deliberate result of its architectural design, aging materials, and modern additions:
• Natural Patina of Zinc/Copper: The greenish-grey segments of the roof are covered in weathered metal (zinc or copper). Over time, exposure to the elements causes these metals to oxidize, creating a mottled, uneven coloration that can look like staining or wear from a distance.
• Modern Skylights: The building features large, geometric glass roof lights designed by architect Stefan Szyller to flood the interior exhibition galleries with natural light. The dark, angular protrusions and framing of these skylights break up the traditional roofline, giving it a fragmented, uneven look.
Back to where we diverted.
The Kestner Tenement (Kamienica Kestnerów) was originally built around 1700, but it took its definitive Neoclassical form between 1836 and 1840 when it was reconstructed by architect Józef Grzegorz Lessel for a local glove maker named Kestner. During the 19th century, the building became a bustling cultural hub, famously hosting art exhibitions and literary gatherings at its popular Laurenty Tosi confectionery. Although completely destroyed in 1944 during the Warsaw Uprising, the tenement was meticulously rebuilt from its foundations in 1949 by architects Zygmunt Stępiński and Mieczysław Kuzma to restore its historic facade. It achieved further cultural fame under its post-war ground-floor venue, the Telimena Cafe, which serves as a prominent setting in Leopold Tyrmand's iconic 1955 novel Zły.
We are cold and hungry, so we settle on Gaga inside, and choose pierogis and Georgian wine.
The owners of GAGA have built the brand around a deep commitment to authentic Georgian heritage, bringing traditional recipes, family-style hospitality, and immersive cultural experiences straight to Warsaw.
The restaurant employs chefs specifically skilled in the art of rolling, stuffing, and pleating khinkali (soup dumplings) to achieve the exact structure required to hold the rich broth inside.
We had the cheese Khinkali, traditional Georgian soup dumplings featuring twisted dough knots.
We also had the meat version. They also feature the distinct twisted dough topknots (often called "handles" or "tails") used to hold the dumpling while eating.
While good, we missed the sour cream and fried onions we are used to!
This historic mustard-yellow building on the left is the Kamienica pod Pelikanem (Pelican House) dates back to 1705.
A sculpted pelican emblem (feeding its young with its blood, a traditional Christian symbol of sacrifice) is mounted on the side wall.
MIEJSCE UŚWIĘCONE KRWIĄ POLAKÓW POLEGŁYCH ZA WOLNOŚĆ OJCZYZNY
(Place consecrated by the blood of Poles who fell for the freedom of the Fatherland)TU W DNIU 2 WRZEŚNIA 1944 HITLEROWCY ROZSTRZELALI 50 OSÓB
(Here on September 2, 1944, the Nazis shot 50 people)
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See the sign depicting gloves?
The main bronze doors are cast with intricate reliefs that serve as a visual timeline of the cathedral. The panels detail major historical moments, including the church being raised to the rank of a collegiate church in 1406.
If you look closely at the door reliefs, you can trace the historical evolution of the Warsaw Mermaid (Syrenka), the city's symbol, showing how its depiction transformed over the centuries.
Sgraffito wall decoration—an artistic technique involving scratching through contrasting layers of plaster to reveal designs—marred by red spray-paint graffiti.
Traditional Polish restaurant.
John had commented on the animal at the bottom left, sits a weathered stone sculpture of a bear. Local legend tells that a shy, spellbound prince was turned into this bear while waiting for his true love. It is said that when a woman truly loves him back, he will turn back into a prince—making it a popular stop to test your luck!
Kamienica Pod Okrętem (Tenement House "Under the Ship") located at Świętojańska 31.
The distinctive stone sculpture above the main portal depicts a sailing ship (okręt), which historically served as the emblem or sign for a wine merchant's shop operating inside the building.
The building's origins date back to the 15th century, with a brick structure erected here by 1645. Like much of the Old Town, it was carefully reconstructed after World War II.
This "bush" was scaring the wits out of people.
The building shown is the Simonetti Tenement House (Kamienica Simonettich), a historic structure dating back to the 17th century when it was originally built for a wealthy merchant family. Following the war, between 1952 and 1953, the tenement was meticulously reconstructed under the direction of architect Jerzy Brabander as part of the total restoration of the Old Town Market Square. The distinctive corner clock, decorative ironwork, and architectural details were explicitly added during this post-war rebuild to restore the square's Renaissance and Baroque character.
The Old Town Market Square (Rynek Starego Miasta) was established in the late 13th century alongside the very founding of Warsaw. For hundreds of years, it served as the beating administrative, commercial, and social heart of the city. A massive mannerist-style Town Hall originally sat in the center of the square, functioning as the civic hub where merchants traded, guild representatives met, and public assemblies or trials were conducted.
The square began to lose its administrative prominence in 1817 when the central Town Hall was demolished, and by 1913, the traditional open markets completely moved to other districts.
The affluent burgher and merchant families built tall, narrow tenement houses around the perimeter, dynamically updating their facades from Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque styles over the centuries to reflect their growing wealth.
Bazyliszek Restauracja is a traditional Polish restaurant. The establishment gets its unique identity from the legendary Warsaw Basilisk, a mythical creature from 16th-century Polish folklore that was said to turn onlookers to stone with its eyes until a clever townsman defeated it using a mirror. Celebrating this cultural history, the restaurant features an ornate metal sign above the entrance depicting the beast, complete with playful red glowing lightbulb eyes that illuminate at night.
Today, the square's perimeter is divided into four sides named after famous historic citizens—Barss, Dekert, Kołłątaj, and Zakrzewski—and features the iconic Warsaw Mermaid Statue standing proudly at its center.
The legend tells of a mermaid who swam up the Vistula River, fell in love with Warsaw's beauty, and chose to live along its banks, enchanting local fishermen with her beautiful singing. Her peace was shattered when a greedy merchant captured her to exploit her voice for money, but a group of compassionate locals heard her cries and bravely rescued her. In gratitude for her freedom, she vowed to become the permanent protector of the city, which is why Warsaw’s iconic Syrenka statue stands in the center of the Old Town Market Square depicted as a warrior carrying a shield and a raised sword, ready to defend its people.
We are done for the day and get a Bolt back to the hotel. We can't believe that sunset is 4:10 PM!
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